Studying other cultures is a way to learn both about the world and yourself, according to Ana Forcinito, professor of Latin American Literature and Cultural Studies in the College of Liberal Arts.

“Learning from other cultures is a window to see what is outside,” Forcinito said. “But at the same time, I think it’s a mirror where you can look back at yourself and look back at your own culture.”

Forcinito explores how Latin American literature, film, and other artistic practices engage with stories that are difficult to tell, from testimonial and autobiographical accounts related to human rights to those found in health contexts. Her classes examine topics like gender studies, memory, and human rights in Latin America, always with emphasis on cultural studies. Over the past seven years, she has also designed courses on narratives related to health humanities (through Latin American film and art), integrating connections to human rights and environmental humanities.  

“When students learn about other cultures, they learn not only about artifacts and objects, but they also learn about critical perspectives: theories and perspectives that are coming from other countries, regions, and groups,” Forcinito said. “That helps students shift their perspective….I think that’s one of the most valuable things that they gain from studying other cultures.”

Latin America is often understood through stereotypes, according to Forcinito. Learning about the complex and multi-layered diversity of the region equips students with the tools to challenge those stereotypes, she said.

“They can realize that they are able not only to know about other cultures but also to know what they don’t know,” Forcinito said.

Forcinito’s own work draws on many different areas of scholarship, including memory and human rights. She traces her interest in human rights to the history of Argentina, her home country.

“I grew up under a dictatorship,” she said. “I experienced the transition to democracy in my first year at university, with professors returning from exile, for example. The atmosphere back then emphasized that each of us had a role in upholding democracy.”

She began thinking about the relationship between the arts, including literature and film, and the redemocratization process, including how perpetrators in Argentina were held accountable for their actions.

She has carried that line of inquiry throughout her career, most recently with a project titled “Memory, Trauma, and Human Rights at the Crossroads of Art and Science,” with Ofelia Ferran, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, and Brian Engdahl, adjunct professor in the Medical School’s Department of Neuroscience.

Working with other disciplines is important to Forcinito, who is an affiliated faculty member with the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change (ICGC).

“In ICGC, you can really hear different perspectives that come from different parts of the world, both from faculty and the graduate students,” Forcinito said. “There is this respect for these different perspectives. This is something I really appreciate about the center.”

In the spring semester, Forcinito will be teaching “Scholarship and Public Responsibility” for ICGC. In this course, first-year ICGC Scholars examine how they can engage with the public and their communities, whether international, local, regional, or national. The graduate students read theoretical texts about ethics and collaboration, as well as texts based on other researchers’ personal experiences that delve into the challenges of engagement. Forcinito also brings in scholars to discuss their projects and collaborations, along with some of the issues they have confronted.

“Engagement is a fantastic idea but then in practice there is this responsibility — but also some response ability,” Forcinito said. “It requires specific skills, and learning from those involved in these types of projects is essential for understanding the practical issues and challenges involved. This is part of a learning process that extends beyond the classroom.”

Forcinito noted that cultural humility is required for engagement, particularly internationally.

“For me, the central component of international education is collaboration,” Forcinito said. “And not a collaboration that is based on a dominant perspective, but a non-hierarchical type of collaboration, which is not easy to achieve. It’s very important not to have interventions in other places, but an exchange. That requires a true respect for the expertise that exists outside the U.S.”